Octopuses fling shells and sand at each other, and scientists caught their battles on video

It is no marvel that, with so many arms, octopuses change into nice pitchers. They will even goal different octopuses with bits of seafloor particles — and rating a direct hit.

For the primary time, researchers have noticed the famously brainy cephalopods intentionally hurling clumps of sand, bits of algae and even shells at one another, although they do not really toss with their arms as individuals do. Relatively, they use their arms to assemble projectiles after which propel them utilizing jets of water expelled from a siphon beneath their arms. Scientists captured video footage of this uncommon habits in gloomy octopuses (Octopus tetricus) in Jervis Bay on the southern coast of New South Wales in Australia and described their findings Nov. 9 within the journal PLOS One (opens in new tab).